Concerning Dust Jackets…
The dust jacket, or wrapper, is the removable decorative paper covering of a book’s binding used to protect a book from dirt or damage. According to Ian C. Ellis, author of Book Finds: “…the dust jacket is the single most important component of a collectible book. It comprises roughly three-quarters of the value of a modern first edition.”
The kindest thing one can do for a book is to protect its jacket with a sleeve. The outer mylar is clear and the backing is comprised of acid-free paper. Not only does the sleeve protect the valuable jacket, it also gives the book a pleasing appearance. At Teacups And Tomes, we include a mylar sleeve with the purchase of our trade cloth books.
Books should be read with the jacket and sleeve in place to prevent the natural oils from the reader’s fingers from getting on to the boards.
A common cause for downgrading the value of a book is price-clipping. Sometimes folks will make a diagonal cut to the inside front jacket flap to remove the price for the purpose of not revealing the cost of a book given as a gift. Do the recipient a favor, and give him or her a book with an intact dust jacket which, in the end, will be more valuable.
Our thanks to Rebecca Romney for her expertise concerning dust jackets. Click on the link for an interesting read on the history of dust jackets.